Tale of the Rose Maiden
by Ducky1
Summary: The story of another lost Shiba.


Tale of the Rose Maiden

By Miriya

Disclaimer: The only things that I own are Keisotsu Yojin, Shiba Yoshun and her zanpakuto (Benigetsu Ketsubara) and this individual story. Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, if you didn't know that already.

A/N: Just a little story I've been cooking up in my mind ever since I found out about the Shiba family. There are a lot of theories floating around on Club Bleach, that I really found interesting, so I figured I'd put them to use along with a couple of characters that I created. This is basically a short back-story to the characters after reading the manga and finding out all about Urahara's association with quite a few of the characters. I didn't go into specific details about which squads the characters are in, or the ranks they held – except for Urahara. I did this because I feel that Tite Kubo still has a lot of things to shock us with, and I had absolutely no idea where some of the characters would fit. I wanted there to be some kind of direct association with Urahara, that's why I decided to place Yojin in his squad. A devotion to one's captain was something I noticed in the Bleach storyline. I hope anyone that reads this enjoys it and starts asking themselves questions and developing their own Bleach theories. Happy reading!

---

It was a peaceful night in Soul Society. Winter was gone and spring had finally come, bringing with it warm air and plenty of sunlight. The green grass had returned and even a few fireflies would appear during the course of the evening. In the mind of a Shiba, West Rukongai had to be the most peaceful place in all of Soul Society. This peace was unexpectedly shattered by a scream.

"Ah! Kuukaku that isn't fair!" squealed a teenaged Shiba Yoshun.

"Of course it's fair, big sisters always get the last piece of pie," Kuukaku retorted, taking a big bite out of the very last piece of pie that Yoshun had her blue-green eyes set on ever since she finished her first.

"You're only five minutes older than me Kuukaku!"

Kuukaku responded by sticking out her tongue and devouring the rest of the pie. Yoshun glared at her older sister, arms crossed over her chest, as if to try and intimidate Kuukaku, who simply smiled in blatant triumph that she had once again had the last of the dessert. Yoshun growled and was prepared to lunge at her sister when a hand settled on her orange colored hair.

"I leave for a few minutes to put Ganju down for the night and you two are at it again," a slightly younger Kaien scolded his little sisters. He did not look the least bit angry at them though. It was as if this had become and dinnertime ritual between the two girls. It wouldn't be long now before nights like this would change in the Shiba home.

"She started it," snorted Yoshun, who stood and immediately left the room.

"Whatever you say carrots!" called Kuukaku, who received a glare from her older brother at the use of the fowl nickname she had given Yoshun. She only really ever used it when she especially wanted to annoy her sister, which she had done increasingly ever since Yoshun announced that she wanted to become a shinigami. Kuukaku detested this decision. If it weren't for Isshin, she would have never gotten that stupid idea into her head.

Yoshun sat perched up in one of her favourite trees near their home. The air was warm tonight, and she could tell that summer was only another week or so away from completely taking over. The stars were out as well, and she could hear birds nearby, twittering their song in the night. But her eyes were mostly on the white glow off in the distance coming from the Court of Pure Souls. She would be leaving within the next few days to train as a shinigami, just like her brother.

"I wouldn't stare at it like that if I were you," came a voice from below. Yoshun looked down only to see that it was Kaien, standing with his hands on his hips, like he always did. Yoshun found it a bit annoying at times, but she new that it meant that he wanted her attention. She obliged her older brother and hopped down from the branch that she was sitting on.

"She didn't mean it you know," said Kaien sympathetically, looking down at his little sister. Yoshun simply shrugged it off and turned to stare once again at the white glow cast by the shinigami city.

"I stopped paying attention to that name a long time ago," stated Yoshun. "Besides, how am I going to make a good shinigami if I let little things like that get to me?"

Yoshun's logic caused Kaien to chuckle. She had been like this ever since he could remember; always kept to herself and would rarely confide in anyone about how she was feeling. Out of their whole family, he had always thought that she was the strong one. It was the next words out her mouth that caused Kaien's expression to waver.

"Do you think I can do this?" asked Yoshun, still staring off into the distance.

Kaien simply stared at her back, unsure of how to answer her question. He didn't want to blurt something out haphazardly like he sometimes did, and give his sibling the wrong idea. Kuukaku may have been completely against Yoshun leaving, but he certainly was not.

"If you believe that you're doing the right thing by becoming a shinigami…Then yes, I think you can do this," he stated and was surprised to find that Yoshun was smiling when she turned around to hug him.

"That's all I needed to hear," stated Yoshun as she pulled away from her brother. "Do you think you'll ever get around to becoming a shinigami Kaien?"

"Eventually," he smiled. "But for now I think I'll stay here. You don't really expect Kuukaku to take care of Ganju do you?"

Yoshun laughed. If there was one thing she could say her sister wasn't good at, it would be taking care of children.

Several years had passed since Yoshun had decided to become a shinigami. She could remember the day she left so clearly, and how cold Kuukaku was to her and Isshin as they left. She sighed as she slipped her zanpakuto over her shoulder and smoothed out the creases out of her school uniform. One last test, she thought to herself as she gave herself a once over in the mirror. If she passed this final test, it would signify her graduation and if she did exceptionally well, it would certainly guarantee her a spot amongst the Gotei-13. Which squad and whether or not she would get a seat was still unclear.

Yoshun was so completely lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the presence behind her.

"Hey," came a loud and energetic voice from behind, causing Yoshun to squeal. She whirled around prepared to give the unsuspecting visitor a nice fist upside the head, but her arm was blocked. She glared at her older brother, silently cursing him for being so inconsiderate.

"'Bit jumpy aren't ya?" stated Isshin as he let go of her arm. "You should spend more time thinking about strategy than worrying about what you're wearing."

Yoshun glared at the older man.

"I plan to look my best for this," she retorted brushing past him out the door. "Besides, shouldn't the new captain be with his squad?"

"Heh, yeah I guess so," said Isshin with a smile. "But I just had to come and wish you good luck."

"Thanks," replied Yoshun with a smile and a sideways glance before leaving.

----

"Bastard!" seethed Yoshun after receiving a blow to the head from the hollow in front of her. She looked down and saw the blood dripping from her forehead, staining her black shinigami robes.

"Shiba, are you alright?" questioned the shinigami beside her, worry written over her comrade's features.

"I'm fine," stated Yoshun. "Keep your eyes on the target!"

She was not going to botch her first mission, especially when she had just managed to join an actual squad. Her captain had a lot of faith in her to allow her to lead her own mission. He had said that she was an exceptional shinigami, with a very promising future ahead of her. 'I wouldn't be surprised if you became a captain yourself one day' he had told her just recently during a squad training session.

"I will not disappoint the Captain," she stated and charged the squid-like hollow, her zanpakuto ready to deliver a blow. Unfortunately, Yoshun did not anticipate the movement of all of the hollow's appendages and was struck again, forcing her down. She coughed up blood as she stood, a hand clutching her abdomen. Her balanced wavered as she struggled to move forward. She charged the hollow again, and with a scream that could bring chills to the spine, sliced it in half, but not before one of its tentacles pierced her through the abdomen.

The hollow let out a chuckle before it faded into thin air. Yoshun lay on the ground, in a pool of blood, her vision so fuzzy that she could barely make out the faces around her. She could hear someone shout in relief that the backup they had called for was finally there.

"Are you alright Shiba?" said a soft voice and she felt a warmth sweep through her, as a hand was placed on her abdomen.

"Captain Urahara?" she coughed trying to focus on his face as he attempted to heal the wound.

"Sorry we're late Yoshun," said another familiar voice, one that she could recognize no matter what. It was a gentle and kind voice. She had met him in her final year at the shinigami academy and they had watched out for each other ever since.

"Yojin!" Yoshun practically shouted, utterly embarrassed that it had to be him that saw her like this. She quickly sat up without realizing what she was doing, but was brought back to her right mind when she felt the searing pain pulsing through her midsection. She clutched her abdomen, and feeling the need to vomit, did so. Despite her pallor of having lost so much blood, her face was quite red in embarrassment. Her eyes grew wide when she felt a pair of strong arms lifting her off and ground and was absolutely mortified when she saw that it was Keisotsu Yojin carrying her.

"We'll have to get you to fourth division," said Urahara turning to leave. "I'm afraid my healing abilities aren't nearly as good as theirs."

"Why don't you just relax Yoshun," said Yojin staring down at her as they all made their way back to Soul Society. "You'll make your wound worse if you stay stiff like that."

"I failed," said Yoshun burying her face in his robes so that he couldn't see the tears the fell from her eyes.

Yojin was surprised, not by her response, but by the fact that she was trembling. He held her a little bit closer as if to keep her safe. Yoshun hiccupped in surprise and looked up, making eye contact with Yojin.

"From what I see you didn't fail at all," he stated. "You're squad is in one piece and the enemy has been defeated."

"Then why do I feel like this?"

"Because you have a hole the size of an apple in your gut," he stated with a smile, causing Yoshun to giggle a little before cursing in pain at how much it hurt.

"Thank you," she whispered as she rested her head against his arm. He was so warm she felt that she never wanted to leave his embrace and for the first time in a long time, she actually felt safe. It's the kind of feeling that one gets when they're little, when you run home to hide away from the world after a bad day. It was the feeling she got when her family was all together, under the same roof. Every worry just seemed to lift from her shoulders and the world around them dissolved into nothing.

'I'll always protect you Yoshun' she heard him say in her half conscious state. His voice sounded disappointed somehow, as if he were at fault that she had gotten hurt. She was taken aback at first, but quickly realized the meaning behind his words. In response she took hold of his robes and buried herself even deeper into his chest.

"And I will always be by your side."

--------

Yoshun woke with a start when she heard movement in her room. She bolted upright, trying to focus enough to see a shape in the black murky night that engulfed the room. She quickly realized that it was her husband making a poor attempt at trying to be quiet. She giggled when he tripped over a nearby stool and cursed under his breath at the inanimate object.

Swinging her legs out of their nice warm bed, Yoshun reached for the small lamp on the nightstand and turned it on, to reveal Yojin dressed in full shinigami robes, with his zanpakuto at the ready.

"What are you doing?" she questioned rising from the bed to stand in front of him. "Is it a mission?"

Yojin looked at his wife, unsure of what to tell her. His hesitation caused her to look at him with worry. He was hiding something. In fact, now that she thought about it, something had been a little off ever since Captain Urahara's trial a few days ago. She realized when the guards came to take Urahara away that he had been found out, and had known for some time what he was up to in 12th Division.

"It's Captain Urahara isn't it?"

Yojin's eyes grew in understanding. How could he have thought that she wouldn't have figured out what would happen once Urahara's trial was over?

"Yes," he stated. "But I don't want you to have anything to do with this."

"With what?"

"Urahara has refused to destroy his creations…Claims that he can't. Therefore instead of simply exiling him, he's been sentence to death by the government. As of this day, Urahara is no longer a captain, and I am no longer a ranking officer in his squad."

Yoshun nodded in understanding. She would do the very same thing for her captain if the situation called for it. She smiled at Yojin and quickly began to dress as her husband explained to her the plan that night's events.

Soon after, they quickly made their way to the white pillar that stood in the very heart of the Court of Pure Souls. 'So, he's being held in the Shrine of Penitence' Yoshun thought to herself as they made their way closer towards the last path of the shinigami condemned to death. Both were startled when they sensed movement to their right. Unsheathing their zanpakutos, the couple whirled around ready to fight with whoever attempted to stop them.

"My, my, a little jumpy aren't we?" said a voice from the shadows.

"Yoruichi is that you?" questioned Yojin.

"I'm lucky I'm the God of Flash or else your wife would have certainly left a scar," Yoruichi stated, surfacing from the shadows, wearing a pair of black leggings and an orange jacket. She looked at the couple rather seriously and said, "You know that after this night you'll probably never be able to come back."

"I understand," stated Yojin, a look of dead seriousness on his face.

"And what about you," asked Yoruichi giving Yoshun a once over. "From what I hear from your captain you're nearly ready to take the captain's test. Pity throwing that away…."

"I promised Yojin that I would always be by that side," stated Yoshun, looking Yoruichi directly in the eye, so that green clashed with yellow. "I go where he goes."

"Very well, then we make our approach," Yoruichi stated and then took off at an amazing pace. Her speed was so unbelievable that Yojin and Yoshun were having difficulty keeping up with her. Both had yet to master shunpo, and Yoruichi far surpassed anyone that already had.

They were nearly at the bridge that connects to the Shrine of Penitence when Yoshun felt a presence. She turned, unsheathing her zanpakuto just in time to block the zanpakuto of her attacker. With a shout to Yoruichi and Yojin, they pressed on leaving Yoshun behind to deal with the situation.

"Out for a midnight stroll, Kuchiki Byakuya?" Yoshun taunted, planting her feet to balance herself. She stared Byakuya down, but his face still remained as placid as it always had been ever since she had met the shinigami. She found him arrogant, and the way he held himself absolutely annoyed her to no end. His sense of justice made no sense to her. It was based on the noble's set of rules. Uphold the rules or die. She detested that narrow-mindedness.

"I figured that a Shiba would be involved in this," Byakuya retorted pressing his weight down on his zanpakuto, forcing the blades to grind against one another. "It is not your place to decide the fate of the prisoner."

"Nor is it yours!" shouted Yoshun, shifting her wait so that she was able to get away from Byakuya. "That's what I detest most about you…"

Yoshun straightened her posture, and giving Byakuya one last glare, closed her eyes. A red glow then began to emanate from her figure, indicating that she was releasing her reiastu. Byakuya's face was expressionless as he too prepared to release his zanpakuto.

"Is your zanpakuto's initial release always as dramatic as this?" Byakuya questioned.

"I wouldn't know since the only one who's ever seen it is Yojin," smiled Yoshun. "Moon's reflection in my eyes, crimson the color of desire, blood that flows, the beauty that pricks your finger...Benigetsu Ketsubara!"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed at his opponent when Yoshun took hold of her zanpakuto with her other hand, and in an instance pulled it apart to reveal two separate zanpakutos. Both were identical in shape and design. The blade was cut like that of a leaf, almost as if it were a razor. The hilt had not changed from what he could see, but the cross-guard had turned into a flower shape that kept her hands out of danger. The very last thing to appear was ribbons attached to the hilt that swayed back and forth in the slight breeze that swept over the area as if they weighed nothing at all.

'Twin zanpakutos…' thought Byakuya as his gaze swept over her. "Impressive…Scatter."

Yoshun watched as his zanpakuto scattered into a million tiny pieces and had been expecting this since he showed up. She crouched down close to the ground, and without hesitation pushed her self up, coming to land directly behind Byakuya. She had underestimated his speed when she landed and was caught in the whirlwind of cherry blossom-like knives. She had to admit that they were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, but also very deadly. Blood now seeped down her right arm, giving away the area that had been wounded by Byakuya's attack.

"You will never earn the rank of captain," Byakuya scoffed. "Despite what you're superiors say Shiba Yoshun, you are weak."

"Well, that doesn't really matter anymore now does it Kuchiki?" retorted Yoshun with a smile. "We shall see who is weaker."

Before Byakuya could react he felt as if all of his energy was sucked dry. Yoshun had not been as slow as she initially thought and noticed that one of her ribbons had wrapped itself around Byakuya's left wrist. With the simple phrase 'Vines of the Rose Maiden', she sucked Byakuya's strength right from under his nose.

Byakuya collapsed to his knees and looked up at Yoshun, totally dumbstruck by what had just happened. What had just happened? Had he underestimated her? No, that couldn't be it. She was the weaker one, the one who had never taken the role of shinigami as seriously as she should have. She was a mockery of all that he and the noble families stood for. He would not be made a fool this easily and yet despite his best efforts, he couldn't move.

"Now who is weaker Kuchiki Byakuya," stated Yoshun, sealing her zanpakuto. Taking hold of her right arm she looked him right in the eye before disappearing into the night and said to her opponent, "Don't worry, it won't last".

"So, that is the power of Benigetsu Ketsubara," Byakuya said to himself as he watched Yoshun's retreating figure.

Yoshun quickly rejoined the rest of the group at the emergency rendez-vous point that they had designated in West Rukongai. It was through a doorway in this area that they would escape to the mortal world.

Yojin, upon seeing his wife, ran to her and noticed her wound. He didn't waste any time cursing that he had not been the one to stay behind and face Byakuya.

"Are you alright Shiba?" Urahara questioned Yoshun as she tried to calm her husband down, claiming that it was just a minor flesh wound and that he couldn't have done any better.

"What do you mean 'I couldn't have done any better'?" asked Yojin, annoyed that his wife would suggest such a thing. "If I remember correctly I was the one who kicked your ass the last time we sparred!"

"Yes I am," said Yoshun, ignoring her husband's tantrum.

"Are you ready then?" asked Yoruichi, crossing her arms over her chest.

Everyone nodded and with the snap of her fingers Yoruichi had opened up a doorway that would take them away from Soul Society. They would never again able to return to their home, and were unaware of the precious creation that Urahara carried within his robes. Once they had reached the living world, Urahara, in gratitude, equipped Yojin and Yoshun with his special gigai.

"I can't begin to thank you two for helping me," stated Urahara. "What will you do now?"  
Yoshun and Yojin looked at each other, and found that they really had no idea what they were going to do now that they could no longer be shinigami.

"We'll figure something out," stated Yojin with a smile, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask," said Urahara who turned and walked off. "Until then, we shall part ways."

"I wonder where Yoruichi went," thought Yojin aloud.

"You think we'll ever see anyone again?" asked Yoshun, a sad expression making its way to her features.

"I'd bet on it," Yojin reassured her.

----

Crimson Moon Blood Rose


End file.
